Who Should I Start? Trey Benson or Jonathon Brooks

Tuesday, December 31, 5:34 PM

The Arizona Cardinals placed rookie running back Trey Benson (ankle) on Injured Reserve on Tuesday, so he will not be available to play in the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival San Francisco 49ers. The third-rounder from Florida State will end up missing the final three games of his rookie season. As James Conner's primary backup in his first year in the NFL, Benson finished with 63 carries for 291 yards (4.6 yards per carry) and a touchdown while catching six passes for 59 yards. Conner was pulled from last week's loss to the division-rival Los Angeles Rams on Saturday night due to a knee injury and could also be rested in a meaningless game this weekend, which would put DeeJay Dallas and Michael Carter in line to split the backfield workload for Arizona. Benson is a solid hold in keeper leagues, although he could be in line for a backup role again in 2025 if Conner stays healthy.

Sunday, January 19, 4:53 PM

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) underwent a successful second ACL surgery last week, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. The operation was led by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who is widely regarded as one of the country's top sports medicine specialists. Brooks missed the first half of his rookie season due to an ACL injury, so it was crushing to see him suffer another ACL tear just a few games into his NFL career. This latest tear is expected to sideline Brooks for the entire 2025 season, meaning he won't be fully healthy until the 2026 campaign. The Panthers are fortunate that Chuba Hubbard played so well during the 2024 season and is on track to remain their starting running back in 2025. Hubbard ranks as a high-end fantasy RB2 next year, but Brooks' eventual return in 2026 could add a wrinkle to the backfield dynamic.